In the Sunday, Sept 6 issue of The Bay City Times ( my local newspaper) was an article about the U.S. Coast Guard wanting out of the Great Lakes lighthouse business.
At least a dozen Michigan lighthouses are affected by the U.S.C.G. plans. The article keyed on nearby lighthouses on Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, so I don't have details on the rest of the state or country for that matter, but here is what I can tell you:
Plans are to shut off the beacons at Port Sanilac, Sturgeon Point, and Point Aux Barques. The plans are also to keep lit, but sell off Forty Mile Point and the popular Tawas Point. These lights are deemed unecessary due to shipping having sophisticated radar and G.P.S.
The good news is that the U.S.C.G. is stressing that they want local or state governments to take posession and maintain them as historic structures. Every effort is being taken to keep then accessable to the public, as most are already located in parks. In the case of Tawas Point, although not yet a done deal, the Michigan D.N.R. has filed paperwork to aquire the structure and make it a part of Tawas Point State Park. In the meantime, the structure will be mothballed until a local community group can be formed to rehabilitate the 120 year old lighthouse.
Let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best in keeping these beautiful old beacons accessable to the public and in good repair. It is a sad day for lighthouse lovers when any beacon is deemed "unecessary", but under the right conditions, we can hope that the future of these lighthouses will be better off under the control of lighthouse preservation groups and historical societies.
[This message has been edited by Todd Shorkey.]
